You say “wantan”, I say “wanton” (making them, well, comely dumplings). Whichever way you say it, a bowl of al dente egg noodles with leafy greens, slices of char siew and, of course, plump dumplings served either boiled or deep-fried, is a welcome one-dish meal for most Singaporeans. While wonton noodles are widely regarded as street food in Singapore, it has more recently been promoted to hipster status, with the opening of Wanton Seng’s Noodle Bar in June 2015.

The duo behind Wanton Seng’s Noodle Bar: Benson Ng and Brandon Teo.
The duo behind Wanton Seng’s Noodle Bar: Benson Ng and Brandon Teo.

After buying over the original Seng’s Wanton Noodles at Dunman Food Centre, childhood friends Brandon Teo and Benson Ng opened Wanton, Seng’s Noodle Bar in Amoy Street. “We grew up eating at Ah Seng’s,” says Ng, who had spent one-and-a-half years at the stall learning to perfect his version of the dish. And the noodles at Wanton remain true to the original formula. “We don’t mess around with the traditional recipe. Only the cooking techniques have been changed, in the interest of productivity,”says Ng. For instance, a thermal circulator is used to cook the char siew, before it is torched and served. For purists who might prefer the old ways, there are still plenty of traditional and even imported styles of wonton mee available here.

52 Amoy Street

(RELATED: The Peak’s interview with Brandon Teo and Benson Ng when they first started)

ON CLOUD NINE

Ditch the carb-free diet for these popular choices.

wan1

KOK KEE WANTON MEE
Queue patiently and be rewarded with the dish doused in so much flavourful gravy that it’s more like a soup. While the wonton (dumplings) is nothing extraordinary, the slivers of char siew are tender and moist. Despite the chilli, the finish is more sweet than savoury.

27 Foch Road, Hoa Nam Building

 

wan2

FEI FEI WAN TAN MEE
The tangle of thicker-than-usual noodles, littered with a few slices of slightly dry char siew, completely obscures the wonton and vegetables. But dig in and mix the spoonful of chilli well and the reward is a toothsome dish, with just the right balance of spice and oil.

72 Joo Chiat Place

 

wan3

MAK’S NOODLE
This outpost of the famed Hong Kong diner serves up the version with fine but springy noodles paired with four crunchy, ping pong ball-sized prawn wonton. The chilli is ground to a thick paste and adds a fiery tang.

#01-63/64 The Centrepoint

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